Bottle-holding rack.



E. M. BELL.

BOTTLE HOLDING RACK.

APPucATloN FILED acne, 1914.

1, 1 43,488. Patented June 15, 1915.

l lll-unl u l I l ttoznmo THE NORRIS FETERS CD.. PHOTD-LITHO..WASHINGTON. D. if.

EDWARD M. BELL, 0E GEEENEVILLE, TENNESSEE.

BOTTLE-Hermine RACK.

rilassa.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. BELL, a citizen kof the United States,residing at Greeneville, inthe county of Greene and State of Tennessee,have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in BottlelloldingRacks, of which the' following is a specification. i Y l rlhe presentinvention 'appertains to improvements in bottle or vial holding devicesor racks especially adaptedfor use in `medicine cases wherein a seriesof bottles4 is usually arrangedin ljuxtaposed relation, theV object ofthese improvementsrbeing to so secure the said bottles as toinsureagainst their breakage or the mutilation of their labels, whilemaintainingthem easily accessible through the instrumentality of specialactuating means for said bottles.f

To the end of accomplishing the foregoing object, I provide a suitableframe which may be inserted in a carryingcaSe, or elsewhere desirable,said frame having bottle engaging means movably mounted thereon andadapted upon movement inione direction to interlock the bottle orbottlesin said frame, and upon movement in the other direction to actuate saidbottle so as toicause the same v to assume an accessible position forextraction, a locking element being included in the bottle 'engagingmeans and adapted to hold Y the bottle Vagainst unauthorized movement inthe manner hereinafter described.

A particularly advantageous feature of the invention lies inthe.disposition :of the aforesaid bottle engaging means whereby the samecoacts with the bottle cork in such a manner as to insure against itsdisplacement from as well as proper positioning in the bottle.` f

These andsuch other objects as may hereinafter appear areattained by thenovel construction, combination aiid' arrangement of parts to behereinafter specifically described and claimed. fi i Reference will'nowbe hadtothe accompanying drawing, formingfa part' of this specication,wherein :-'-1 A Figure l is a perspective view of a medicine caseembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line2-2 of Fig. l, but on an enlarged scale, and showing more clearly thedetails of construction of the bottle engaging means, and. in dottedlines nthe release position assumed by saine when it isV desired vtoextract the bottle.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 15, 1915, Application ledOctober. 8, 1914. Serial N o. 865,704.`

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional View taken on Y the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.Fig. l isa vertical sectional view on the line of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is anenlarged perspective view of the slidablebottle engaging member alone.

Throughout the following detail descripf "purpose, said frame`beingfshown in Fig. 1

as disposed in a medicine carrying case 2 of conventional shape. andconstruction. As customary, a case of this` character is 4provided witha series of juxtaposed bottles or vials 3, each so positioned as topermit of extraction from its carrying` frame and the means by whichsaid bottles are held in said .frame and moved into extracting positionforms the special subject-matter of the present improvements. rlhe lowerside member la` of theframe 1 is vprovidedwith a plurality` of recessesor openings, one of which is designated in Fig. 2 by the referencecharacter 4, and as usual the lower end-of a bottle 3 is adapted tobeinserted in said opening.

The upper end of the bottle is adapted to be held by special `engagingmeans now to be described, said means consisting of a member 5,preferablyfof metallic material and as shown in Fig. 5 so stamped or cutand bent as to form opposing lateral flanges 5n slidably mounted ingrooves G formed in the upper frame `member 1b.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2

thatl the grooves 6 are inclined and this is for a particular purpose aswill be more particularly pointed out in the following description. ,1?i

The main body portion of the slidable bottle engaging member normallyrests against the bottle cork 7` and .is formed at its rear portion witha depending flange slightly curved or concaved to conform to thecurvature of said cork. 1 i

` Near theforward portion of the bottleengaging means is pivotallymounted an angularly shaped catch 9, one arin of which is adapted tointerlock in a notch 10 formed in the upper frame member lb near itsouter edge,las seen in Fig. 2.

. The oppositelarin of the catch 9 depends and interposed between said`arm and the rear wall of the recessed portion in which the slidingbottle engaging member Vis mounted, isthe spiral spring 11Ynormallytending to hold the upper arm of the catch in intel-lockedengagement with the notch 10 before mentioned. A i Adjacent the catch 9is pivotally mounted a releasing lever or trigger 12, said triggerextending through an opening 13 at the forward portion ofthe bottleengaging inember in pendent position in front of the bottle cork so asto be readily accessible in extracting the bottle from its holdingframe.

The upper portion of the trigger lZis adapted to Vengage the lower armofl the angular catch 9 when said trigger is lifted, this operationdisengaging the upper arm of the catch from the notch and releasing thetension of the spring 1l whichactuates the bottle engaging membersliding it forwardly in the inclined grooves which latter cause themember to move upwardly away from the bottle cork while permitting itsange S to move the bottle outwardly at its upper portion from the frame1 into the released position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 where thebottle may be readily grasped and removed from the case.

In the insertion of the bottle, it will be understood that the lower endis iirst inserted into an opening 4 in the frame and with the corkengaged beneath the -hori- Zontal rconcave portion of the slidablemember the upperend of said bottle is pushed inwardly, theV said member5 compressing the spring 11 while the downward incline of the grooves inwhich it is mounted causes the bottle engaging member toV exert pressurein a longitudinal direction of said bottle interlocking thesame in theframe when the bottle has assumed vertical position as shown by fulllines in Fig. 2,at which position the catch 9 engages with the notch intheframe 1 and interlocks the bottle from accidental movement. Obviouslythe movement above described not only tends to clamp the bottle betweenthe side members of the frame but holds the cork in position inthebottle neck and forcibly stoppers the bottle properly. v

As shown 1n Figs. 3 and 5 aflange 5a of the slidable member-is out awayso as to form y a shoulder 5b which coacts with a pin 14 extendingthrough the frame to limit outward movement and prevent displacement ofthe said slidable member.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that when the frameis provided with a series of bottle engaging members such ashereinbefore described, the bottles will be heldin their carrying framequite rigidly so as to insure against their movement or likelihood offracture and preventing mutilation of the labels on the bottles as wellas holding the bottles against rotation tending to turn the labels intoa position where they would not be readily observable. In order toaccommodate for slight ydiiferences in the size or lengths of thebottles as well as to effectually cushion the samein the clampingaction, 'l preferably interpose between the bottom of the bottle and thebottom ofthe opening or recess 4, a resilient member 14e, of rubber orother desired spring material.

It will be obvious moreover that slight changes in Vthe vdetails ofconstruction and arrangement of parts liereinbefore described may bemade without departing from the lspirit ofthe Vinvention and within thescope` ofthe claims hereto appended.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 4claim as new is: Y

1. in bottle holdingmeans of the class de- V scribed, Ythe combinationwith a frame, of bottle engaging means" .mounted in said Y frame forbodily movement, said frame havber whereby to vcause movement of saidmember into contact with a bottle carried in the frame and locking thelatter in the frame under pressure longitudinally of said'bottle. 3. 1nbottle holding means of the class described, Vthe combinationV withaframe, of a bottle engaging member slidably mounted on the frame, theframe having guiding loo grooves arranged at an incline with respect toth'eframe whereby to cause a clamping action upon movement of saidmember in one direction. Y Y Y il. In bottle holding means of the classdescribed, the combination with a bottle, of a frame including sidelmembers Vbetween whichV the bottle is interposed, a slidable membermounted on one of the side members of the frame in a position Ato engageone end of said bottle, the side member last Vmentioned having inclinedgrooves in which vthe slidable memberis movable bodily whereby uponinsertion of the bottle between the frame ,members the slidable memberis caused to exert pressure longitudinally on v the bottle tending'tomove the bottle-cork into and, locking said cork fromdisplacement fromthe bottle. A v

5. In bottle holding means of the class described, th-e'combination withaV frame, of bottle engaging means mounted in said frame for bodilymovement, said frame having guiding'means for causing said bottleengaging means tov exert pressure against the bottle interlocking thelatter in the frame, and a locking,V member intermediateY the bottleengaging means and theV frame holding the engaging means in position insaid frame.

6. In bottle holding means of the class described, the combination Witha frame, of bottle engaging means mounted in said frame for bodilymovement, said frame having guiding means for causing said bottleengaging means to eXert pressure against the bottle interlocking thelatter in the frame, a locking member intermediate the bottle engagingmeans and the frame holding the latter in position in said frame, andrelease means for disengaging the locking member from the frame topermit removal of the bottle therefrom.

7 In bottle holding means of the class described, the combination With aframe, of bottle engaging means mounted in said frame for bodilymovement, said frame having guiding means for causing said bottleengaging means to exert pressure against the bottle interlocking thelatter `in the frame, a locking member mounted on said bottle engagingmeans and adapted to engage the frame to hold a bottle in positiontherein, and a triggerV member engageable with the locking member forreleasing the bottle engaging-means to permit Withdrawal of the bottlefrom the frame.

8. In bottle holding means of the class de scribed, the combination'With a frame, of bottle engaging means mounted in said frame for bodilymovement, said frame having guiding means for causing said bottleengaging means to exert pressure against the bottle interlocking thebottle in the frame, a locking member intermediate the bottle engagingmeans and the frame holding the bottle in position in said frame, Vandmeans interposed between the bottle engaging means and the frame foractuating the described, the combination with a bottle, of

a frame in Which said bottle is adapted to be disposed, said framehaving a recess in Which one end of the bottle is adapted to beinserted, bottle engaging means mounted in said frame and comprising aslidable member shiftable bodily, said member being formed Withoifstanding flanges, the frame aforesaid having guide grooves in whichsaid flanges are disposed, a catch pivotally mounted on the bottleengaging member and adapted to interlock With the frame aforesaid innormal position, a spring interposed betWeen the bottle engaging memberand the frame and coacting With the catch to hold the latter inengagement With the frame normally, said spring tending to slide thebottle engaging member upon release of said catch, and a trigger adaptedto disengage the catch from the frame to permit actuation of the bottleengaging member bv said spring for moving said bottle into eX- tractingposition. 1

10. In bottle holding means of the class described, the combination witha,V frame, of a Vbottle engaging member slidably mounted on the frame,the frame `having guiding grooves arranged at an incline With respect tothe frame whereby to cause a clamping action upon movement of saidmember in one direction, and means for preventing the displacement ofthe sliding member from the frame.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD M. BELL.

Witnesses:

KATE KNIPP, N. W. S. LAMB.

Copies of thisV patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." Y

